Unearthed Arcana is Wizards of the Coast’s playtesting system, in which they publish concepts for the community to test and give feedback on. Previous documents have included new subclasses, feats, and spells, some of which have been refined a📖nd released in official sourcebooks. The most recent Uneart🉐hed Arcana includes a variety of new spells and rules for magic tattoos.
There have been many homebrewed rules for magic tattoos in D&D, including a set of stat-boosting tattoos on the , but this is the first time magic tattoos have been semi-officially introduced into 5th Edition D&D. The tattoos🌠 available range from simple designs that absorb energy or add to AC to complex ones that allow characters to cast spells or create other effects.
The document also outlines the process of getting these tattoos. The tattoos themselves are contained in magic needles, which, on use, actually transform into the tattoo ink and arrange themselves o🐓n the adventurer’s skin. When a player wants to get rid of a tattoo, it forms back into the magic needle, leaving no trace of the ink. This odd mechanic presumably exists because tattoos use the same attunement system that all magic items do, so there needs to be a way to get rid of a tattoo if an adventurer finds, say, a cool magic sword that they want to use instead. However, all tattoos only take up one attunement slot, so it’s possible to have a character c⛦overed in tattoos without worrying about attunement.
While Unearthed Arcana offers some great tattoo options, the most important part of this document is the set of rules that it has created for getting ink in D&D. DMs have always been encouraged to create their own magic items and adventures, and this document provides the framework to do so, including the mechanics of getting tattoos and the s💫urface area that they cover on the body.
Unearthed Arcana is meant for playtesting, so it’s still a first draft. It isn’t allowed in Adventurers League events, but players can de♏finitely use it in games at hom🏅e, with the approval of the DM of course. It's on Wizards of the Coast's website.
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